Called it the remotest island on Earth, Tristan da Cunha sits in the center of the South Atlantic Ocean 2,778 kilometers from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, the nearest mainland point, and 2,334 kilometers from St. Helena, the island that is its closest neighbor. Of the four islands that make up the group, only the largest—Tristan da Cunha—is occupied. The islands are volcanic in origin, and the volcanic peak of Tristan da Cunha is clearly visible in this image. The volcano forms a brown circle in the center of the island. The small islands shown here are Inaccessible and Nightingale. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) on NASAs Aqua satellite acquired this image on December 20, 2003. Source: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from April 16, 2003, shows African dust blowing over Scotland (left) and across the North Sea to Norway and even southward to Denmark. A few fires have been detected by MODIS and are marked with red dots. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

The ice-covered mountains of South Georgia Island stand out starkly against the black of the surrounding South Atlantic Ocean. The tiny white flecks of icebergs salt the ocean around the island, and the massive A-38B iceberg floats offshore. Light wispy clouds frame the scene, leaving a window through which MODIS could peer to see the island below. The A-38B iceberg started life almost six years ago as part of the A-38 iceberg. The A-38 iceberg was ninety mile long by almost 30 mile wide when it broke off of the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica in early October 1998. By mid-October, the iceberg, named A-38, had broken into two pieces: A-38A and A-38B. While still in one immensely-heavy 90-mile long piece, the iceberg had essentially grounded itself just off the Ronne Ice Shelf. But breaking in two and enduring the wear of freezing and melting seasons gradually shrunk the icebergs to the point where they could begin drifting out to sea. Six years later, pieces of the iceberg are still floating in the Scotia Sea near South Georgia Island. In this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) image, captured by the Aqua satellite on July 15, 2004, only the A-38B section of the iceberg is visible. The sliver of the of the iceberg that was once as long as and twice as wide as South Georgia Island is barely a third of the length, and narrower than the islands width. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

The rugged white crescent of South Georgia Island is cutting a wake in the clouds that stream overhead. In the wedge of clear sky, the large A-38B iceberg can be seen floating offshore. To the north, in the top left corner, is the A-38G iceberg. Both icebergs once formed part of the massive A-38 iceberg, which calved from the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1998. The iceberg, which was 145 kilometers long, broke into pieces and drifted about 1,600 kilometers north to South Georgia Island in the six years since it formed. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) on NASAs Aqua satellite captured this image of the icebergs around South Georgia Island on July 20, 2004. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

South Georgia Island, which sits in the center of this true-color Terra MODIS image, is covered in snow and glaciers, making it as brightly white as the huge icebergs that float slowly past. The three icebergs were likely calved somewhere in Antarctica, and are being carried toward South America by the currents of the South Atlantic Ocean. The southern tip of South America, Cape Horn, lies some 1,200 miles (1,930 km) west of this island. South Georgia island is not permanently inhabited, as its climate is too harsh and agriculture is practically nonexistent. Instead, its population fluctuates with the seasons - during the warmer months, tourists come to the island to observe its wildlife and the life in the surrounding waters. A permanent research station is also manned, but there are no civilian settlements. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

An interesting pattern of clouds swirls around South Georgia Island in this true-color MODIS image acquired August 8, 2002. This tiny, isolated island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean and is covered in winter snows. Closer inspection of the image reveals what may be a phytoplankton colony off in the waters surrounding the island. Many phytoplankton species thrive in cold, relatively low nutrient waters such as these. Sunlight reflecting off of the chlorophyll in the phytoplankton causes them to appear blue-green. Low-lying clouds surround the tiny island and reveal wind currents and pressure systems that are normally invisible to the human eye. In this image, wind is blowing northeast, creating a higher-pressure bank of clouds along the islands southwest coast. The island itself acts as a wall, forcing most of the winds to move around it instead of straight over. On the other side of the island, the pressure is much lower, allowing for the tiny bit of clear sky that shows the phytoplankton and ocean. However, the momentum of the winds movement causes it to curl back inwards towards the island center, drawing with it the clouds that reach back toward the island like a peninsula. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Located in the southern Atlantic Ocean off coast of southern Argentina, the Falkland Islands are a territory of the United Kingdom, and are comprised of over 200 islands. Shown here in a true-color image acquired from data collected on October 20, 2001, West and East Falkland, left to right respectively, are by far the two largest islands of this archipelago. Also visible is a large phytoplankton bloom that is marked by the blue-green swirls off the northern coast of West Falkland. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

A large, low-pressure system swept across the United Kingdom on Monday, spawning at least three tornadoes there before continuing on toward Scandanavia. This image, acquired on October 30, by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), shows the storm after it brought torrential rain and hurricane-strength winds to Britain in perhaps the worst storm to hit the country since 1987. High seas nearing 23 feet (7 meters) and winds gusting up to 109 mph wreaked havoc on sea traffic, causing delays or cancelled ferries across the English Channel and necessitating the rescue of crews from stranded ships, including a Norwegian freighter and an Italian cargo ship. Source: Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE